The Drum- The changing face of Madison Avenue: raising voices for advocacy The Drum- The changing face of Madison Ave: raising voices

“Until more women are in leadership positions across all disciplines, and until we actively include their perspectives as part of our industry's culture, our potential is still limited.” – Grey NY CEO Debby Reiner

By Doug Zanger | February 21, 2018

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In the first part of The Drum’s roundtable discussion with the nine CEOs who lead the New York offices of these legacy agencies — Saatchi & Saatchi, Deutsch, Droga5, BBDO, McCann, FCB, Publicis, Grey and J. Walter Thompson — those interviewed discussed the changing faces of leadership in the agency world, how New York is setting the example for women in leadership roles and how differences in leadership styles can benefit female executives.

Though, according to the 3% Movement in their 2016-2017 ‘Where We Stand’ research, women across agencies of all sizes hold 29% of creative director positions and 39% of executive roles, there is still ample room to grow. Additionally, the continued positive acceleration of movements like 3%, Free the Bid, Diet Madison Avenue and #MeToo signals a significant sea change in the industry.

Continuing the final of part of this roundtable discussion from November 2017, we look at how these leaders advocate for women’s voices in the industry, how getting to know employees can help boost productivity and the continued business case for female and more inclusive leadership.

Advocating for women’s voices

Karyn Rockwell, chief executive officer at FCB New York, says that their agency is always looking to identify innovative ways to empower women from all backgrounds and disciplines.

“I look forward to more diverse, female representation, both around the table and in our work, reminding us of women’s uniqueness, strength and invaluable contributions to the world," she said. "We need to ensure that women have a voice in those conversations so that we can deliver on that goal."